Pencil sharpener



Jan. 29, w1.935.

H. l.. STOVERv PENCIL SHARPENER Filed March 2'2, 1954 INVENTOR.

Hmward L.. ETUVEP Patented Jan. 29, 1935 Howard` nfstover, Bellefonte, Payassignoruof@ f This invention relates to pencil Sharpeners and more particularly to a pencil isharpener housing employing a conventional' safetyrazorblade as asharpeningmean's.: 'L :11.1 l .1

The principal .objectfof the invention; is topro-` vide such a housing, wherein the razor .blade is rmly held'so las Ito sharpen a-fpencil with a smoothi clean-zout' yet the razor blade may beca-s-V ily removed; reversedand: reinsert'edw vvithouitidisturbinganyfpartzoffthe housing. t

Another object is to provide a razor blade housing for? a` 'pencil-sharpener, the housing )being so constructedr-thatcthe hands'. of" theguser ,areL protectedagain'st vcuts and v'scratches' while, the. device is in use, and so that the-razor'blade itself:

is protected against damage .to :'itsf cutting edge: AStill another zobject-isatoprovide-avery compact pencil sharpenerof the Atype described, but one which will not .become clogged loytherpencjl` shavings. ,.g l, i* .1. A furtherobjectis .to provide aghousingY- fora pencil Sharpener --which :may be constructed from ay blank of sheet material and may be produced very economicallyso as to be marketed for a'relativelyfew cents. y f n v Other objects and advantagesof thisinVentiOn will be apparentduringthe courseofthefollowing detailed description, taken in'connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification andin'which drawing;- j f Figure 1 is a side elevation of `one, {faceof the improvedpencil sharpener housing, carrying a safety f razor` blade,-v with a conventional. 'pencil shown in dotsanddashes as insertedthereintofor sharpenings- .f f

Figure 2- is aside elevation of the opposite'face of -the novel housing, :with a razor blade, carried thereby.' v Figures 3, Lland-6 are=enlarged sectional. views substantially onl the respective `lines in; Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an endelevationfof the novel pencil'sharpener.' 1

Figure '7 is a plan view. cfa pluralitypof-blanks constituting the pencil Sharpener housing.

In the' drawing,- wherein for the purpose of il. lustration is shown only a preferredembodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, the pencil Sharpener', as ja whole, is v'designated lgenerallyas A5 :the novel housing as Band the sharpening meansv as C.: I

The pencil sharpenerA, as a whole,;is a-particularly light weight, metallic article, havinga length and breadth not much morethan .thatof the conventional safety razordbladesgincludes an elongate .plete f portion l 11;- hai/ite. kif

preferably rparallelineendgs :12am 113: .f 011eside` edge 131 lwhich is fforrned ,by curving fthe, b nl: so..that.a.portionoverlies a section fof the ce 15. of .theplate .llforrna-.aat 'anglewt plate portion is formedyb l 1,1.r\ 1f l r1g.the.blanligjsol thatk a smallportion overv ies .a section.. ott-the. .face ljto one sidentv the ,-tlansverselfmedialflin fthe platepoltOn-and extendsioathgend-edga upon therefisf Short Section Of. ..ede 16. .-Whi h isf without-.a i011 yand. beyond-this .Sheet SetiQrl. the .edge extends. Substantiallxarallel t0.; the. transverse axis of Athe .plate portion afteryvhich thereisaeuide porticato .be lateridescribed, @Xx

tendina-tagt@vend-ledgelf f The end edge 12 is preferably provided withan indentation or cut-out `1'7 asshownl particular-ly in,l yligure 2, *as substantially a vsemi-circle, with itsendsrounded as at 18. QA I ,-At the s idefedge 16 theplate portion pro` vided;withk a decided ygroei/e j y.or corrugation 19 which; preferably uextends the ylength vof the .plate portionandv constitutes'ga depression inthe yface 15.: Associated `with thiscorrugation 19`giswa slot 20 which extends longitudinallyofthe plate por.- tionglLwThis slot. mayv be; said toliewithin the'v corrugation- -.and extends' from adjacent the end edge -13I to short fof the roll-less section ofthe edge 16, asrshown in Figure-j2 and inthe blankfinFigurey 7.- :Itwill be .seen :inf Figures 3,.4and 5 l.that the section of the sheet portion 11 beyond., the indentation 17 is curved asat Zlfandthenextends in aplaneparalleling the 'general vtrend oi the face-15.1..; f Y f That portion;y of blank whichfis :curved-.over

. so ;as to voverlie asectionpf the face1,5gonst i.

tutes a razor blade clamping means and is adapte ed to-resiliently grasp one edge portion of vya. con- Ventional safety-)razonl This clamping portion 22fcurves over at the side edge 14 as at `=ZBand then parallels .the face' 15.of the` platev portion 11 being spaced therefrom, It preferably extends of the plate portion, as shown particularly in Figure 6, thus closing this end from the indentation 17 to the edge 14. The opposite edges of the plate and clamping portions are not curved over and thus is provided a compartment with a narrow longitudinally extending opening 27 at its side and a transverse opening 28 at its end. It might be said at this point that the clamping portion 22am! its curved` section 23 should possess some resiliency. l

A guard portion 30 is provided and constitutes the small portion referred to as curved over from the edge 16 so as to overlie a small section `ofthe face 15 to one side of the transverse medial'lineY`r of the plate portion, as shown. in Figures 1 and 3.,

It is desirable that this guard portion. be so disposed that it will present a portion .in resilient contact with a razor bladewhen inserted into the housing, and it will be noted its length is less thanl one-half the length of the plate portion.

Now' asto the pencil guide orcutting'head portion 3l; this is liollow`,' and shaped somewhat like a truncated cone, thelargerend 32 lying at the edge 13of the'plate portion'whilethe smaller end short of theguadlportionfo and does not extend beyond thetrarisverse medial line of the plate portion. lri the example shown, falls Just short ofsuch line. 'The side edge 34; ofthe guide portiondiy is spaced from-theplate portion l1 but except'forthecorrugation 19 a substantially circular end3l2' is povidedf l Y Referring tothe blank 1'0 assli'own in Figure '7,' it will be that a substantially rectangular member is provided witha vangular wing extending lfrom onefside edge, this wingfformng the guide portion '31,- while' `there is an `indentation' 35 adjacent the transverse medial' line," this being provided to foi-mene endedge of the guard portfono. Small indentations ridare provided Yto aid in curving thev sect-ions 253 dhd26 Vas' is-apparent. 1 j j The housing may be constructed fromtheblank lo by curving the clamping portion azfover" the plate portion 1l generally alongthedotted line 37, after 'which the'A end edges are crimped or curved as at 25 and 26, then the guardportion 30 is curved over the plate portion ll and substantially along the dottedline 38 and finally the guide portion is produced by curving the angular wing into a. substantially truncated conical shape.

it will be' seen in Figure '7 that the blank for the housing may be very'economically produced with very little lossA of material, by the arrangement shown, where a strip of material may be stamped to provide aV4 plurality of the housing blanks; 'f' 1 v Asfor the safety razor blade C, the same is preferably of'thetype 'showninnumerous `United States Patents, as for example U. S. Patent #228,- 829,'da-ted June 15, 1880. This conventional safety razloil blade includes a nat plate forming the blade proper l40, having a longitudinally extending cutting edge 4l and, enclosing the edge opposite the cutting edge, a channelledmember 42 which frictlonally holds that portion of the blade 40, 'forming an enlargement to that portion of the assembly? I n order to employ the improved pencil sharpener, a suitable safety `razor blade C is .slipped into the mouth"'2 8 until it is wholly within the housing,` as shown in-Figure l, with the clamping portion grasping the channeled member 42, the guard member covering what would otherwise be an exposed portion of thecutting edge of the razur blade and much of thecutting edge 4l projecting into the guide member as shown in Figure 5, with the blade well held by the side edge 34 of the guide portion. It will be noted from Figures 3, 4 and 5 that the cutting edge 41 lies to one side of the axis of the mouth at the smaller end 33 of the guide portion so that a satisfactory cut at the point of the pencil may be had.

A conventional lead pencil when sharpened by this novel pencil sharpener wfill present a wooden cutting surface to not over one-half 'of the cutting edge 41 of the razor blade 40, so that, when 'this one-half of the edge becomes dull the blade may be removed (pressing against the edge of the blade projecting into the indentation 17 will enable thefingers tograsp the blade as it is partly ejected); reversed and reinserted, thus presenting a freshcutting edge to the pencil. Very littie dnllingof the cutting edge is, of course, produced blythe lead of the pencil.

Ground off lead and pencil shavings will nd their wayfrom the sharpener thru the corrugatiozi l!! and slot 20 and will not remain to clog the dcvice'nor dullthe blade. i

The blade is held rmly and will not be apt t slip nor vibrate when" beingV used'. It is so protected that the hands of the use: of the device will not come mtocontact with the cutting edge of the bladev In fact, the device may be carried in the pocket, a pencil box or the like without injury or damage to the person, clothing or' the blade itself. y

Various changes may benlsde to the iormjof invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the claims. v

What is claimed is: v

'L'lln' a safety-razor-blade-type pencil sharpener housing, an elongate plate portion, razor blade clamping means at one side edge of' said portion, a guard portion overlying a face of said plate portion at the oppositeside. edge thereof and extending short of one end edge of said plate portion, Aand ahollow, substantially truncated conical guide portion overlying a section of said face at said last named side edge, said guide portion being' spaced from said 'guard vportion and with the smaller end of said guide portion facing saidV guard portion, said guide portion lying to one sideof the transverse medial line of said plate portion and having a side edge spaced slightly from said plate portion.

2. In a safety-razor-blade-type pencil sharpener housing, an elongate plate portion having a depression extending longitudinally thereof and to a side edge thereof, a razor blade clamping portion 'oi' resilient material overlying said depressionA and spaced therefrom, and a hollow, substantially truncated conical guide portion overlying a section of said plate portion and extending from the opposite side edge of said plate portion, said guide portion having a side edge, spaced from said last named side edge and spaced slightly from said plate portion.

3. In a safety-razor-blade-type pencil sharpener housing, an elongate plate portion having a corrugation and a slot both extending longitudinally thereof adjacent one side edge, said slot disposed within said corrugation and extending short of the end edges of said plate portion, razor blade clamping means at the other side edge of said plate portion, a. guard portion disposed along a section of the first named edge and overlying a section of said plate portion, and pencil end guiding means includingl a substantially truncated conical guide'portion extending over a-section of CFI said plate portion with a side edge of said guide portion facing said plate portion close adjacent said corrugation and slot.

4. A blank for a pencil Sharpener housing comprising a metallic sheet having substantially paralleling end edges, a side edgev forming substantially a right angle with either of'said end edges,

the opposite side edge of said sheet paralleling a portion of the rst named side edge from an end edge, then being indented, adjacent the transverse medial line of said sheet, said sheet continuing from said indentation in an angular Wing extending away from said first named side edge.

HOWARD L. STOVER. 

